Codey slams DiVincenzo, credits Norcross: The Auditor

TRENTON — What’s that? Did state Sen. Richard Codey saying something nice about George Norcross, the state’s most influential Democrat and the lawmaker’s political nemesis?

Well, kind of — but at the expense of another frequent target of his, Joseph DiVincenzo, the Essex County executive and fellow Democrat.

In a profile of Gov. Chris Christie that appeared in last week’s New Yorker magazine, DiVincenzo longingly described Norcross’ considerable clout, noting that the South Jersey insurance executive and newspaper owner could count on the votes of seven senators and 12 Assembly members.

"I don’t have what George has," DiVincenzo whined to the reporter. "George has seven and 12! I have two senators and five Assembly people."

To Codey, DiVincenzo wasn’t just saying those legislators were his allies. He was saying he controlled them.

"I think it’s disgraceful," Codey said. "It’s belittling those senators and those Assembly people. ... To say that is so demeaning, and shows you not only is he corrupt and unethical, he’s also dumb as dumb can be."

Codey then gave Norcross credit. (This is where the reader asks to be pinched.) "I’ve never seen George say that he controls them," he said. "He has a brain. Joe doesn’t."

DiVincenzo aimed his own barbs at the veteran lawmaker.

"While I have spent my entire career working with others, building consensus and improving Essex County with good government, Dick Codey has been divisive and polarizing. ... It’s time for him to end his unhealthy obsession with me and focus on representing his district," he said.

Lawmakers stew over snub by attorney general

Next time the Attorney General’s Office wants to take a pass on defending a New Jersey law, it may want to let legislators know.

Democratic lawmakers recently learned from The Star-Ledger that twice last year the office took the unusual step of declining to defend a law allowing residents to carry handguns, leaving the question to county prosecutors.

The sidestep chafed the legislators, and led to accusations that the office was passing because Gov. Chris Christie, a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2016, didn’t want to be associated with it — even though the office is defending gun laws in federal court.

So two Democratic assemblymen, Joe Cryan of Union County and Charles Mainor of Hudson County, introduced a bill (A2406) in February that would require the attorney general to notify legislative leaders the next time they chose not to defend a law. The Senate majority leader, Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), introduced a version in her chamber.

"The laws originate through us," Cryan said. "The reason for notifying the Legislature is, should the executive branch make a decision based on politics and not policy, the voice of the people should be heard."

The world of high finance

Gov. John Hickenlooper already knows how he’ll spend the first $40 million in marijuana tax revenue Colorado has taken in: build new schools.

In January, the first month marijuana became legal there, it collected $2.1 million in sales tax revenue. A sales tax on medical marijuana brought in another $1.4 million.

Christie has said he doesn’t want New Jersey’s medical marijuana program to resemble that of free-wheeling Colorado, which is why his state has the nation’s toughest law, and why he has vowed to veto any bill to legalize pot.

For now, the Christie administration won’t even say how much revenue the medical marijuana program has generated from its three dispensaries, and an open public records request was denied by the Treasury Department. A spokesman, Christopher Santarelli, said releasing sales tax information would amount to sharing what the state’s three dispensaries earned.

But two of the dispensary operators were not shy about their contribution to the state’s economy. Bill Thomas of the Compassionate Care Foundation in Egg Harbor, which opened last October, said it took in $11,000 in sales tax for the last quarter 0f 2013, and netted $15,000 in the first quarter of 2014. Garden State Dispensary in Woodbridge, which opened in December, said it collected $11,361.45 in the weeks it was open that month.

Greenleaf Compassion Center in Montclair, the first state dispensary to open, in December 2012, did not respond to a request for information.

The Christie budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 anticipates collecting $170,000 in registration fees from patients and dispensary operators, so that taken together, it doesn’t appear the $1.6 million program will break even.

Take 10 paces and deliver your best line

The relationship between the brawling governor and the press corps has never been, well, simpatico.

Just last month, Christie jabbed at the media while trying to score points at the Conservative Political Action Conference. "We have to stop letting the media define who we are and what we stand for," he said.

And on his "Ask the Governor" radio program in February, Christie — reeling from the George Washington Bridge scandal — insisted he wouldn’t buckle under pressure from the media. "I’m not going to give in to the hysteria," he bristled.

But the prickly relationship will not stop the governor from rubbing elbows with the media next month at the annual correspondents dinner, where the evening is devoted to taking shots at lawmakers and the governor, who then takes his turn.

Peggy Stephan of the New Jersey Press Association said the governor’s office assured the group he would attend — though she didn’t say whether he would wear a flak jacket, or perhaps a fleece. But in past years the governor has given as good as he has gotten, so it should be entertaining.